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Put a lift kit on my 2005 F-150 and the difference in handling after 6 months is wild
I finally pulled the trigger on a 4-inch lift for my old Ford back in March. The first week felt like driving a boat, lots of body roll and wandering on the highway. But after about 2 months and getting the alignment dialed in at a shop in Chattanooga, it settled down big time. I swapped out the stock shocks for some Bilstein 5100s and that made a huge difference in how it tracks on curves now. The biggest change I noticed was how much better it handles gravel roads compared to before, no more bottoming out on those washboard sections. The downside is my fuel mileage dropped from 16 to about 13 mpg, which stings a little. Has anyone else noticed their lifted truck rides way better after the suspension parts break in, or is that just me?
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logan52524d ago
That Bilstein swap probably did more for the ride than the lift itself. Those stock Ford shocks are junk from the factory, especially on an 05. Good call on going with the 5100s.
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troy_price24d ago
Look, I swapped my 05 F150 to 5100s last year and the ride difference was maybe 10% better tops. People act like Bilsteins turn a truck into a Cadillac but it's still a truck with leaf springs and solid axles. You'll still feel every expansion joint on the highway and your kidneys still rattle on washboard dirt roads. The stock Ford shocks on these trucks are fine for 90% of daily driving unless you're hauling concrete blocks every weekend. I swear half this sub thinks swapping shocks is on par with a suspension engineering degree.
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shane_park9224d ago
Ran 5100s on my old 2500 for about 40k miles and yeah, the hype is way overblown. The real win with Bilsteins is consistency not comfort, they just keep behaving the same whether the truck is empty or loaded. Stock shocks are fine for grocery runs and the occasional hardware store trip, no need to throw money at it unless you're actually pushing the truck off pavement.
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ryanm6024d ago
@logan525 "junk from the factory" is a bit harsh, don't ya think?
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